The closer our class got to the auditorium, the quieter everyone became.
It wasn't immediate. The usual chatter still floated through the corridors as students compared guesses about what kind of Manifestation and Stigma they'd awaken or argued over which hero agency paid the highest signing bonuses. A few laughed louder than usual, probably trying to convince themselves they weren't nervous. Others kept adjusting their ties every few steps like a perfectly straight knot somehow improved their chances with the Awakening Stone. I couldn't really blame them. If my future depended on a crystal deciding to cooperate, I'd probably be fussing over my tie too.
By the time we reached the entrance, though, most of the conversations had died on their own.
Westbrook's auditorium looked nothing like it usually did. The stage had been expanded, rows of white flowers lined either side of it, and the academy crest hung from a massive banner stretched across the back wall. Parents filled almost every available seat while teachers hurried between the aisles, making sure everyone was sitting where they were supposed to. Even a few local reporters had shown up with cameras pointed toward the stage. Guess graduation was still newsworthy if there was even the slightest chance someone awakened a rare Stigma.
I followed my class toward the rows reserved for graduating students and dropped into one of the empty seats near the middle. From here I could see almost the entire auditorium. Parents smiled proudly from the audience while younger brothers and sisters bounced impatiently in their seats, probably wishing they could skip the speeches and get to the exciting part already.
Honestly...
Same.
My eyes wandered through the sea of black blazers until they found Maria sitting a few rows away with the rest of her class. She looked exactly how she always did. Calm. Composed. Like someone who hadn't spent the entire train ride wondering whether her life was about to change forever.
She noticed me looking.
For a brief second, our eyes met.
She offered a small smile and gave a tiny wave before turning back to the girl sitting beside her.
That was it.
No walking over.
No teasing me about almost being late again.
No asking whether Tony had made me work another evening shift before graduation.
Just a smile.
It wasn't exactly cold...
Just distant.
I still couldn't figure out what I'd done.
Maybe girls simply woke up one morning and collectively decided to confuse the hell out of guys. It honestly sounded more believable than whatever explanation my brain had managed to come up with over the past few weeks.
The lights dimmed before I could think about it any further.
Conversations around the auditorium gradually faded as Westbrook's principal walked onto the stage carrying a stack of papers beneath one arm. He adjusted the microphone, cleared his throat once, and smiled out across the packed hall with the sort of confidence that only came from giving the same speech every single year.
"Good morning, parents, faculty members, honored guests... and most importantly, the graduating class."
A round of applause spread through the auditorium.
"Today marks the end of one chapter in your lives and, for many of you, the beginning of another. Some of you will leave this academy and pursue ordinary careers. Some will continue your education. A fortunate few may awaken Stigma powerful enough to enter hero training."
He paused, letting his gaze sweep across the students.
"Whatever happens today, remember that a person's worth has never been measured solely by the strength of their Manifestation."
Easy enough to say when you weren't the one about to have your future decided by a glowing crystal.
The speech continued for another ten minutes. Most of it I'd heard before during previous graduation ceremonies I'd watched from the audience as an underclassman. Thank the teachers. Congratulate the parents. Tell us we were the future of society. Throw in something inspirational near the end.
Pretty standard stuff.
Nobody interrupted because everyone knew what came after.
Eventually, several academy staff wheeled a stone pedestal onto the stage.
The conversations stopped almost immediately.
Resting on top of the pedestal sat a crystal sphere about the size of a basketball. Thin strands of silver light drifted lazily beneath its surface, almost like tiny lightning bolts trapped inside glass.
The Awakening Stone.
I'd seen pictures before.
Videos too.
None of them really captured what it looked like in person.
It wasn't bright enough to hurt your eyes, yet somehow impossible to look away from. Every pulse of silver light made the crystal seem almost alive, as though it were quietly breathing while waiting for the first student to approach.
"The Awakening Ceremony will now begin," the principal announced before stepping away from the microphone.
One of the academy staff unfolded a clipboard and called the first name.
A girl from Class A slowly climbed the steps leading onto the stage. Even from where I sat, I could see her hands trembling slightly as she placed one palm against the crystal.
Nothing happened.
A second passed.
Then another.
Just as disappointment began creeping onto her face, the Awakening Stone flared with soft green light.
The audience erupted into applause.
The girl stared at her own hand in disbelief while tiny green particles circled her fingers before disappearing altogether.
One of the officials standing nearby nodded after glancing at a tablet in his hand.
"Manifestation confirmed."
She practically floated back to her seat.
The ceremony settled into a rhythm after that.
A student would walk onto the stage, place a hand against the crystal, wait a few seconds that probably felt like an eternity, then either awaken... or quietly return to their seat.
Some students cried with relief.
Some laughed.
Some tried smiling after nothing happened, pretending they weren't disappointed before sitting back down without saying a word.
Those were always the hardest to watch.
It wasn't their fault.
Sometimes the Awakening Stone simply stayed silent.
One boy awakened a Stigma that covered his forearms in what looked like polished stone before it faded away a few moments later. Another somehow managed to produce tiny sparks from his fingertips, earning an excited cheer from his friends at the back of the hall.
Nothing particularly earth-shattering so far.
Then another name echoed through the speakers.
"Maria Rossi."
I looked up almost instinctively.
Maria stood, smoothed the front of her blazer, and made her way toward the stage with a confidence I honestly wished I had. She didn't seem nervous at all. If anything, she looked more annoyed that several hundred people were staring at her.
Lucky.
She rested one hand against the crystal.
For a heartbeat...
Nothing happened.
Then the Awakening Stone exploded with brilliant golden light.
A collective gasp swept through the auditorium.
Even the officials standing beside the pedestal exchanged surprised looks before one of them quickly checked whatever information was displayed on his tablet.
Golden threads of light wrapped gently around Maria's arm before disappearing beneath her skin as quickly as they'd appeared.
The applause that followed was louder than anything we'd heard all morning.
Guess she'd awakened something impressive.
Good for her.
She deserved it.
I caught the smallest glimpse of a smile on her face before she returned to her seat, though it disappeared the moment she noticed everyone looking at her.
My attention drifted back toward the blue shimmer lingering at the edge of my vision.
Still nothing.
No dramatic reaction to another Awakening taking place right in front of me.
It simply remained there, silent as ever.
A strange feeling settled in my stomach.
For months I'd imagined today playing out a hundred different ways.
Not once had any of those daydreams included hiding a bloodstained brick under my bed or seeing mysterious blue windows floating around my apartment.
Funny how quickly life could change.
The official picked up the next sheet of names and continued calling students one after another.
Each passing minute made my pulse beat a little faster.
Soon...
It would be my turn.